Action verbs for your CV (with examples)
The verb at the start of a bullet point signals whether you drove something or just showed up for it. "Responsible for" is the most common weak opener on CVs - swapping it costs nothing and reads noticeably stronger.
Why "responsible for" falls flat
It describes a duty, not a result. "Responsible for social media" could mean you ran a campaign that doubled engagement, or that you occasionally posted when asked. Recruiters can't tell the difference, so they assume the weaker version.
Strong verbs by category
- Leadership: led, coordinated, mentored, directed
- Achievement: increased, reduced, delivered, exceeded
- Analysis: analysed, identified, evaluated, diagnosed
- Creation: built, designed, launched, developed
Before / after
Before: "Responsible for onboarding new clients."
After: "Onboarded 40+ new clients per quarter, cutting setup time by 30%."
The verb change alone helps - pairing it with a number (see our guide on quantifying achievements) does the rest.
The free ATS resume checker quotes back every bullet that still opens with a weak verb, so you can see which ones need this.
Appliora's AI assistant can suggest stronger verbs and phrasing; one suggestion is available to try, with extended AI assistance in Pro.
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